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Mike Mentzer Ultimate Workout

Today, we delve into the powerful Ultimate Workout devised by none other than the legendary bodybuilder Mike Mentzer. Mentzer's original Heavy Duty workout is celebrated for its innovative approach to high-intensity training, challenging the norms of traditional routines. By focusing on quality over quantity, Mentzer broke new ground in the realm of bodybuilding. Understanding the principles of the Mike Mentzer's Ultimate Workout will certainly help enhance your muscle building journey.

Mike Mentzer's Original Heavy Duty Workout

Fight the tendency to add more sets to the suggested workout. Don’t think that you can make up for performing the sets haphazardly by doing more. More is never the answer to stimulating growth, harder is the answer and the harder you train the less will you be capable of doing.

You can either train hard or you can train long, but you can never do both, it is just physically impossible. If the workouts are taking more than an hour you are either doing too much or resting too long.

Mon and Thurs (Legs, Chest, Triceps)

Legs

Leg extension super setted with Leg Press

One set to failure with a weight that allows you approx, six reps, and then force yourself to do more. Immediately with no rest proceed to the leg press which should already be set sup.

Leg Press

1 set immediately following the leg extensions. Any rest time will drastically reduce the results.

Squats

After a sufficient warmup do 1 set of squats with a weight that allows you six reps, then out of sheer effort perform two more. The rep protocol should be the same on all exercises

Leg curls

2 sets until failure

Toe raises

On standard toe raise machine or on leg press; 3 sets with a heavy weight going as high as you can on your toes each rep. 8 reps with a heavy weight then force out two more.

Chest

Dumbbell flyes or double cable crossover super setted with

1 set with a heavy weight followed immediately by incline press

Incline press

Incline press with barbell or dumbbell or else dips with the elbows pointed out: By pre-exhausting the pecs with the first exercise, which is an isolation movement you “preserve” the strength of the triceps for the second exercise where they are directly involved.

Heavy incline flyes

one set to failure

Triceps

Choose two different exercises and do them both for two sets. Employ forced reps when possible. Remember to use strict form when doing all of your exercises. Also make sure to increase the weight in a particular exercise whenever possible. You must continually force a muscle to perform beyond it’s existing capacities; this is what makes a muscle grow.

Tues. and Fri. (back, traps, delts, biceps)

Back

Stiff Arm Pullover On Lat Machine or Pullover Across Bench with Dumbbells or Nautilus Pullover supper setted with:

1 set of either of these above exercises for approx. six reps then force out two more and use forced and negative reps after the initial six reps.

Close grip palms-up chins or bent over rows or close grip palms up pulldown on the lat machine

This second exercise should be set up and ready so that there is zero rest time following the first one above. Do two cycles.

One arm dumbbell rows

with as much weight that allows good form perform two sets with each arm emphasizing a high row with the dumbbell hitting the pec or higher.

Note: Supersets with two exercises ( Squat and Leg press) constitute a cycle.

Traps

Shrugs super setted with:

Shrugs with dumbbells, barbell or on a universal; keep the chest out and the shoulders back, shrugs the shoulders as high as possible until the shoulders almost touch your ears.

Upright rows

upright rows with a shoulder width hand spacing pull the bar at least nipple high and lower under control. 2 cycles of the two exercise incorporating forced and negative reps.

Delts

dumbbell laterals super setted with

1 set of dumbbell laterals to failure with weight that allows six good reps

Press behind neck

with forced and negative reps. 2 cycles

Bent over laterals

two sets to failure

Biceps

Same as the triceps: two exercises for two sets a piece using forced and negative

Note: Mike Mentzer made his best gains on this routine when he began spacing it so he trained every other day on a split routine, meaning at least one days rest after each workout, he called it his most productive routine.

If you have any questions about Mike Mentzer, Heavy Duty, High Intensity Training, Diet, etc. email us and we'll get back to you with an answer as soon as we can.

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